Students brainstorm freedoms that they enjoy. Then they examine the structure of the Declaration of Independence. Next they focus on the preamble to determine the purpose of the document and the famous sentence “We hold these truths to be self-evident…” Finally, they have a small group discussion about the importance of the Declaration of Independence.
Students are introduced to the lesson focus on the Declaration of Independence and its reputation as a revolutionary document. They view an image of a facsimile of the Declaration, then watch the video Writing of the Declaration of Independence to learn about how and why the document was written and why it is considered so important. As they watch, students contribute to a word cloud by entering key words and phrases used to describe the document.
Teacher MovesPresent the lesson objective and briefly frame the Declaration of Independence as a powerful, influential document. After the video and word cloud, highlight sample student responses and emphasize how many descriptions focus on the power of the words and writing in the Declaration.
Students read background text about Thomas Jefferson’s authorship of the Declaration and examine the famous line about “unalienable Rights.” They answer a poll to interpret what “unalienable rights” means, then paraphrase the famous sentence in their own words on a class wall. Next, they read an explanation of the three main parts of the Declaration and note the heading lines that identify the place, date, and authorship. Finally, they respond on a wall to explain why the delegates used the terms “unanimous” and “united.”
Teacher MovesShare and discuss exemplary student paraphrases of the famous line to clarify that it expresses equality and rights that cannot be taken away. When reviewing responses about “unanimous” and “united,” explain that Congress wanted to show that the colonies were acting together, both to the king and to the colonists themselves.
Students learn that the introduction of the Declaration is the preamble and read the first paragraph from the full text. They answer a poll identifying the main purpose of the document as explaining reasons for separation. Then they read the second paragraph and, using a series of tables, restate key ideas in their own words by completing sentence stems about where governments get their power, what people may do if government becomes destructive, when long-established governments should or should not be changed, what happens when a government has a long history of abuses, and what the King of Great Britain has done.
Teacher MovesReview sample student responses in the tables and connect them back to specific phrases in the Declaration that support their ideas, reinforcing concepts such as “consent of the governed,” the right to alter or abolish destructive government, caution about changing long-standing governments for minor reasons, the duty to act when abuses are long-standing, and the description of the king’s tyranny.
Students read the section of the Declaration that lists grievances against the king, using Was the Revolution Justified? if they need help understanding particular complaints. They identify what they see as some of the worst actions of the king and Parliament and summarize these grievances in their own words in a graphic organizer. Next, they read the paragraph beginning “In every stage of these Oppressions…” and post a paraphrase of its main ideas on a class wall.
Teacher MovesDiscuss sample grievances from student organizers, pointing out examples where the king limited colonists’ rights and committed acts of war. Highlight items such as dissolving assemblies, quartering troops, imposing taxes without consent, depriving trial by jury, and waging war against the colonies. When reviewing paraphrases of the “Oppressions” paragraph, clarify that the colonists repeatedly petitioned respectfully, but the king continued his abuses and thus is unfit to rule a free people.
Students read the final paragraph of the Declaration, focusing on how Congress describes the colonies. They contribute to a word cloud with words and phrases from the text that describe the colonies and their people. Afterward, they read a brief note that the delegates end by listing the rights of independent states and answer a multiple-choice question identifying which right is not cited in the Declaration.
Teacher MovesUse student word-cloud responses to highlight key phrases such as “United States of America,” “good people of these Colonies,” “united colonies,” and “free and independent states,” reinforcing how the document asserts a new collective identity and status for the colonies.
Students complete the exit quiz by answering all the questions.
Teacher MovesFacilitate the assessment and use student data to evaluate understanding, address misconceptions, and identify areas for growth.
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